Delicious, chewy, oaty flapjacks studded with juicy dried fruits and richly flavoured with syrup and coconut. Dairy free, parve, vegan, and utterly yummy!
It’s been quite a while since Rakusen’s discontinued their fruit flapjacks, but I still miss them.
Unfortunately, while some people loved them, they apparently didn’t sell as well as chocolate digestives and oaty biscuits. So I was left with only one course of action. To get into the kitchen and make fruit flapjacks myself.
Desperate times call for desperate measures…
I analysed the ingredients of the Rakusen’s flapjacks, and compared dozens of flapjack recipes, in order to work out how to replicate the Rakusen’s ones as closely as possible.
I used the nutritional information on the packet to gauge how much fat/sugar/fruit/etc to include. Spreadsheets were involved. Pages of calculations. It was a complex and in-depth analysis!
Eventually, having done my research, I put on my apron and got busy.
Delicious flapjacks
I’m delighted to say that my preparations paid off!
These lovely homemade fruit flapjacks are moist, chewy and dense, studded with delicious dried fruits. They have a wonderful rich sweet flavour from the syrup and coconut – I’m not sure I would have noticed the coconut in the originals if I hadn’t read the ingredients list, but the subtle flavour definitely helps to make these super-yummy. Thanks for the inspiration Rakusen’s!
Ingredients in fruit flapjacks
To make these delicious fruity flapjack fingers, you will need the following ingredients:
- Margarine or butter – butter tastes better, but margarine is dairy-free/vegan. You decide.
- Soft brown sugar – for sweetness and a moist texture.
- Golden syrup – or you can use corn syrup, honey, agave or maple syrup.
- Porridge oats – I used ‘quick cook’ porridge oats for these flapjacks, but you can also use chunkier ‘rolled oats’ instead. Each gives a slightly different texture to the finished bake.
- Plain flour – also called all-purpose flour.
- Raisins or sultanas (golden raisins) or a mixture.
- Desiccated coconut – sometimes called shredded coconut. Make sure it’s unsweetened.
Fabulous flapjacks – the good news!
My copycat Rakusen’s fruit flapjacks were a hit all round, and even got the seal of approval from my daughter Kipper – you can see her fingers in the photo above!
They are perfect lunchbox treats, after-school snacks, or mid-morning energy boosters. Or just a delicious mouthful with a cuppa whenever you need one.
They are also, pleasingly, super-easy to make. Just melt, stir, and bake! So, until someone starts a successful bring back the Rakusen’s fruit flapjack petition, I think I’ll be making these quite regularly.
I cut my flapjacks into 9 fingers, but you could probably get a few more or less depending on how you cut them.
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📖 Recipe
Fruit Flapjacks
Ingredients
- 75 g margarine or butter
- 75 g soft brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon golden syrup (Or use corn syrup, honey or maple syrup)
- 125 g porridge oats (quick cook oats)
- 35 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 50 g raisins or sultanas (golden raisins), or a mixture
- 25 g desiccated (shredded) coconut (unsweetened)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.
- 75 g (⅓ cup) margarine or butter, 75 g (⅓ cup) soft brown sugar, 1 tablespoon golden syrupIn a medium saucepan, melt the margarine, brown sugar and syrup together over a moderate heat.
- 125 g (1 ½ cups) porridge oats, 35 g (2/7 cup) plain flour, 50 g (⅓ cup) raisins or sultanas (golden raisins), or a mixture, 25 g (⅓ cup) desiccated (shredded) coconutRemove the pan from the heat and add the oats, flour, dried fruit and coconut, and mix thoroughly to combine.
- Turn the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and press down well. Bake at 18°0C (350°F) for around 20 minutes until just golden on top.
- Remove from the tin, score into fingers, and cool on a wire rack.
- Eat and enjoy!
Nutrition
More delicious teatime treats
If you enjoyed these I’m sure you’ll also love:
Selena
These look amazing! Can I leave out the coconut? I just don’t have any in the house
Helen
Hi Selena. Yes, that shouldn’t be a problem. Maybe add a few more oats. The flavour won’t be exactly the same but they should still be good!
Michelle
Love these as a healthy breakfast or snack option! And the kids love them too!
Helen
Thanks Michelle! Never thought of them for breakfast but they do make a great snack.
Sharon Chen
What a quick and easy snack! My son would surely love this 🙂
Helen
Thanks Sharon – I know my daughter does!
Andrea
I guess we’d call these granola bars in America. Let’s just call them delicious! They’re perfect for a healthy snack.
Helen
They are certainly delicious Andrea! I think flapjacks and granola bars are sort of cousins, but not quite the same. Flapjacks are chewier, I think, and well, just different! They do make a great snack though 🙂
Claudia Lamascolo
Wow these looks fabulous can’t wait to make this on the weekend!
Helen
Thanks Claudia – I hope you enjoy them!
Pincher
I tried this recipe during my search for homemade energy bars to use during a forthcoming walk, Lands End to Porthpean. I love the texture and taste of these crunchy-edged beauties. They made 16 (2″x2″x 1/3″) pieces. I replace the coconut & fruits with my own equivalent (berries, fruits, nuts & seeds).
Helen
So glad you enjoyed them! Your fruit, nut and seeds combo sounds delicious. Good luck with the walk!
Rachel Gordon
Can these be made with oil instead of marg and no syrup?
Helen
Hi Rachel. It may be possible to substitute oil for marg/butter although I’m not sure how they would hold together, but the syrup is important for the texture so I think leaving it out would be a bad idea. Sorry.
D
Has anyone successfully substituted oil? Thanks.
Kate Duffus
Hi Helen, Looks good. I have been making a fruit flapjack for years and gradually honed my recipe to create what I think is the perfect amount of gooiness. I use a mixture of dried fruit, usually whatever is in the cupboard but often includes apricots and dates. I pulse the fruit in the food processor to break it up a bit and then add it to the butter/syrup/sugar mix while it is still hot in the saucepan. I give it a while to soften before I add the oats. Then bake as normal. Makes a gorgeous gooey flapjack.
Helen
Hi Kate! Sounds like a great method – thanks for sharing! I will have to give this a go for my next batch…. ?
All That I'm Eating
I really like adding coconut to my flapjacks too! I think it gives such a nice flavour.
Helen
I’ve never tried it before but will make it a habit now – they were scrummy!
Chris @thinlyspread
I love fruit in flapjacks it lifts them to scrumptious rather than just delicious and these look very tempting indeed!
Helen
I love dried fruit in anything. It’s a constant struggle to make plain biscuits/cakes/other – I must fight my instinct to alway throw a handful of raisins in!
nadiashealthykitchen
I’ve never tried Rakusen’s fruit flapjacks, but your version looks delicious! I think homemade always tastes better than shop bought anyway 🙂
Helen
I couldn’t agree more!
Elizabeth
Mmm these sound like just the sort of thing my kids would love to eat after school. Wonder if I have time to whip up a batch before they get home!
Helen
They were certainly a big hit with Kipper. I can see I’ll be making these frequently! Great for lunch boxes too as they don’t have any nuts in.
Corina
I love coconut in my flapjacks and cereal bars too! I’d never heard of Rakusens but these are so much like my mum’s flapjacks – even the recipe looks practically the same!
Helen
Maybe that’s where they got it originally!!